Microsoft offers U.S. students a complimentary one-year subscription to Microsoft 365 Personal.

Microsoft announced that starting this Thursday, all college students in the United States can receive a free year of Microsoft 365 Personal. For others, a yearly subscription costs $99.99 and includes ransomware protection for photos and files stored on OneDrive, 1 TB of secure cloud storage, and the ability to use the service on up to five devices simultaneously. Microsoft President Brad Smith stated that students who claim their free subscription can also enjoy a 50% discount if they choose to continue after the first year. This offer is available until October 31, 2025, for students at accredited universities and colleges, requiring a valid university email address for verification.

The announcement was made during the White House’s AI Education Task Force meeting, where Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed further commitments to support U.S. teachers and students. Microsoft plans to provide $1.25 million in educator grants through the Presidential AI Challenge, along with certifications for community colleges and AI training for job seekers. Additionally, the company aims to expand access to its AI-powered Copilot digital assistant in schools across the United States. Earlier this month, Microsoft also indicated that Word for Windows would begin saving all new documents to the cloud by default, with similar features rolling out for Excel and PowerPoint later this year. 

Categories: Student Offers, Microsoft 365 Features, AI and Education Initiatives 

Tags: Microsoft, Free, Microsoft 365 Personal, College Students, Ransomware Protection, OneDrive, Cloud Storage, AI Assistant, Educator Grants, Student Verification